Overview

A nuanced examination of the salience of skin tone within African American politics. Research shows that skin tone is associated with significant differences in life experiences. On average, African Americans with darker skin earn lower wages, suffer worse health outcomes, and endure more negative criminal justice experiences than lighter-skinned African Americans. Nicole D. Yadon conceptualizes skin tone as one facet of the multidimensional construct of race that powerfully influences racialized experiences which, in turn, can influence political identities and attitudes. Drawing on evidence from one hundred in-depth interviews, multiple surveys, and a survey experiment, The Politics of Skin Tone investigates the political associations of skin tone. Yadon finds that skin tone correlates with political attitudes, particularly on issues where color-based disparities are especially pronounced such as criminal justice. Moreover, a sizable number of African Americans adopt a skin tone-based identity. In an era of shifting racial boundaries and growing color-based discrimination, The Politics of Skin Tone examines the implications for both scholars and policymakers.

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9780226840352

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Reviews

“In an American society eager to become post-racial, Yadon shines a spotlight on an unspoken truth but hidden reality for many: skin tone matters. Yadon delivers a powerful and convincing political story of how one’s blackness shapes their lived experiences. The book is rich in its theoretical development, encompassing in its empirical execution, and profound in its significance for American society. It will be read, debated, and lauded for years to come.” -- Daniel Q. Gillion | author of ""The Loud Minority: Why Protests Matter in American Democracy"" “The Politics of Skin Tone offers an exploration into the role of skin color on African American life chances and politics, marked by Yadon's ingenuity in gathering multiple data sources together in a multi-method approach.” -- Natalie Masuoka | coauthor of ""The Politics of Belonging: Race, Public Opinion and Immigration"" “The Politics of Skin Tone is undoubtedly the most compelling, comprehensive, and theoretically rich examination of the relationship between skin tone and politics among African Americans. This groundbreaking work explores the important role colorism plays in shaping both intracategory dynamics among African Americans and politics among African Americans more broadly. Yadon convincingly shows that, contrary to other prior research, the importance of skin tone for African Americans' identity is not declining but growing in significance across generations.” -- Ellis Monk | Harvard University

Author Information

Nicole D. Yadon is assistant professor of political science at Ohio State University. She is also the coauthor of Skin Color, Power, and Politics in America. She won the APSA Political Psychology Section’s Distinguished Junior Scholar Award in 2023.

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